Tuesday, 6 October 2015

Here is an excellent and thoughtful speech by Dave Nellist, National Chair of TUSC, speaking at a meeting in Belfast about How Corbyn's victory is changing politics in the UK.

And the view from quite a different perspective lends weight to Dave's points.

Ross McKibbin is an Emeritus Fellow at Oxford University and takes a thoroghly mainstream view of politics. However, writing in the London Review of Books on Corbyn's victory he speaks about the "petulance" and "bewilderment" of the defeated Blairites, "people who believe they are entitled to rule".

Corbyn's support amongst his "colleagues" in the Parliamentary Labour Party, is, he rightly says, almost non-existent. Barely 10 MPs genuinely support him - although others will seek to ingratiate their way in.

McKibbin says, "I don't think they will accept their dethronement lightly. They and their mates in the media will seek continually to undermine Corbyn, and they will not be too scrupulous about it."

Corbyn's main support comes from the new Party members, and also from those like TUSC from outside the Party. He must, in our view, find ways of mobilising and organising that support for the longer haul.